and this is what kari has been talking about. very dense fog. be careful. >> that will do it for us this monday morning. good morning welcome relief welcome relief congress reaches a new deal y overnight on a $900 billion covid relief package. >> more help is on the way. >> better late than never. this morning, what it means to the millions of americans struggling and when you can expect those long-awaited checks to final arrive new strain a coronavirus mutation in the uk is spreading even faster than the first one, as london goes on lockdown and the world begins closing its doors on the british. but is it too late to keep it

from reaching the u.s. we are live in london. rollout. millions of doses of moderna's coronavirus vaccine on the move this morning as the cdc makes new recommendations about who should get it next but with the clock ticking down and holiday travelers ignoring health warnings, growing concern about a post-christmas surge breaking overnight, eruption the kilauea volcano on hawaii's big island spewing lava and ash as residents and tourists are warned to take cover. behind bars. an american college student in a caribbean jail this morning for violating covid protocols while she was on vacation. >> she knows she screwed up. she knows she should have to pay for it. >> her family begging for mercy and the white house now getting involved those stories, plus seeing double tiger woods and 11-year-old charlie team up and are the stars of the show at the

father/son tournament in florida. >> your first eagle. >> yeah, he did. putting on a performance worthy of a fist bump, monday, december 21st, 2020 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, guys welcome to "today. thank you for joining us on a monday morning welcome to christmas week. it is upon us of the savannah is taking some well-deserved time off for the holidays she's going to be with her family craig joins us from home mr. roker is here in studio. we've got a lot of -- it's the first official day of winter, is that right >> did you feel a little something at 5:02 this morning, a little tingling? >> what happened what went down >> solstice, very nice a big storm is coming, going to be effecting the eastern third of the country on christmas. is it a white christmas or a wet one?

we'll tell you coming up. >> that's a good tease, al. >> i'm still tingling. >> i know you are. all right, mr. roker hoda, thank you. a small bit of good news for millions of americans coming just in time for christmas overnight, after months of a stalemate, congress striking a deal on a nearly $900 billion covid-19 stimulus package. >> includes a new round of direct payments to struggling americans, as well as money for businesses. we do have complete coverage along with the latest on the new vaccine, as coronavirus cases spike at home and abroad. nbc's chief white house correspondent, hallie jackson will start us off this morning. hallie, good morning. >> hi, hoda. good morning. this is almost, almost a done deal. that means a second round of stimulus checks will be heading to millions of americans. small businesses will get billions in relief they need. boy, this breakthrough cannot

come too soon. with millions of people facing dire deadlines before the new year. just ahead of the holidays, help is on the way, with congress ready to vote as soon as today on a massive pandemic relief plan, after months of gridlock. >> the agreement on this package could be summed up by the expression better late than never. >> the $900 billion deal includes checks for many americans, people make less than $75,000 a year will get $600 or $1200 for couples making less than $100,000 plus $600 for any child in the family. that adds up to $2400 for an average family of four. an additional $300 a week for unemployment benefits and provides $325 billion for help for small businesses and extension of the paycheck

protection program. nearly $70 billion for vaccine distribution and testing, $80 billion for schools and $25 billion to help renters, too. the deal also keeps the government funded until next fall. if congress passes this, it would be the second biggest stimulus package ever, behind only the first round of pandemic relief earlier this year. >> at long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed. >> that's because without federal help, an estimated 30 to 40 million americans will be at risk of eviction before the new year and 12 million workers would lose unemployment benefits the day after christmas, including randy williams of tennessee, who lost his job in march. >> i've extended all of my assets. i've exhausted all of the aid. if it weren't for friends and family at this point, i would be on the street. >> that sure does speak to the urgency of this, hallie. when can people expect those stimulus checks? >> yeah. this is all the timeline here,

the first thing that has to happen is the house and the senate have to vote to pass it. that could happen as early as today right before the government funding deadline at midnight. then it's off to the president for his signature. if those things go as expected -- remember, things could always change until this bill is finalized and passed -- people should expect to see those stimulus checks via direct deposit a couple of weeks after the bill is signed. remember the caveat here, it took months in some cases to hit bank accounts the last round of relief. unemployment benefits are expected to last 2 1/2 months until the middle of march. certainly good news for the many people who need it. >> indeed. hallie jackson, thank you. craig? meantime, the world closing its doors to the united kingdom while a new and highly contagious strain of the coronavirus appears to be spreading quickly. today senior international correspondent keir simmons is in london where there's a major lockdown in place just in time for the holidays. keir, good morning to you. >> reporter: that's right, craig. good morning to you. these are some of the depressing

headlines the british are waking up to this morning, calling uk the sick man of europe. another quoting the british minister, saying the lockdown here could last for two long months. that's because there's so much they don't know about this virus variant, and they don't really know if it is really more infectious. this morning, flights grounded, as more countries close their borders to the uk, including germany, italy, turkey and canada. after britain warned a new strain of coronavirus might be hyper contagious. >> it may be up to 70% more transmissible. >> reporter: new york governor's questioning inbound flight. >> right now this variant in the uk is getting on a plane and flying to jfk. right now, today. to me, this is reprehensible. >> reporter: france closing ports, crucial supply lines for

freight. london's world famous shopping streets deserted, days before christmas. the uk locking down the southeast of england. in the hours after the announcement, crowds rushed to leave by train and by plane. by this morning, the british government adjusting its message. >> i think the reality is that it will already be in other places and will already be found in several other european countries. >> reporter: there is evidence of the same virus variant in italy, belgium, denmark and the netherlands. the new variant has multiple spikes to the protein, 17, an unusually high number, affecting the shape. mutations are not unusual, but this one has spread fast especially in and around london, and u.k. covid cases were falling after tough restrictions and now they are soaring. the infection rate up 51% this

past week. >> we don't know for sure that this variant is more infectious. >> we don't know. on the mathematical modeling right now. >> reporter: the world health organization saying it's working with the uk to get a clearer picture. >> that research needs to be done. >> reporter: we've been talking to experts all morning here, craig, and some crucial points. these changes are to the spike protein, and that is what the vaccine acts on, but the changes, experts think, are small enough that they won't affect the efficacy to the vaccine. they think it would take years to achieve that, and that they don't believe that the virus is made more deadly by these changes. there are world experts in genome mutations here in the

u.k., and kind of the center of the mutations experts on this. one possibility is that the uk has picked this up more quickly. what does that mean? it means it's likely to have spread globally already and that other countries around the world are going to have to follow the uk's lead with the lockdown we're now experiencing here, craig. >> all right. keir simmons for us there in london. keir, thank you. hoda? turning now to that second covid vaccine being delivered around the country. that's happening today, and it comes not a moment too soon with cases and deaths rising at an alarming rate. warning couit get worse. tom costello. >> reporter: moderna's vaccine rolling out nationwide. it is a two-pronged attack now against coronavirus, but we have have 317,000 people who have died in the country now from covid-19. now going into christmas and new year's, the concern is we could see a surge in cases and deaths. there is new hope this morning in the fight against covid-19. millions of doses of moderna's vaccine now joining pfizer's, shipments to thousands of sites nationwide. >> 2 million doses of the pfizer vaccine and 5 million doses of moderna vaccine.

>> reporter: with hospitals overwhelmed new concern ahead of the holidays. >> unfortunately there may be more with christmas, over the christmas holiday. >> reporter: that warning as the cdc's advisory panel has released new recommendations for who should be vaccinated next. among them, people over the age of 75, and essential workers, like first responders, teachers, postal workers and public transit employees, and individuals involved with the food supply chain, including grocery store workers. >> i want to take personal responsibility. >> reporter: meanwhile, the man in charge of vaccine distribution says he's responsible for some states receiving significantly fewer doses of pfizer's vaccine than they expected. >> i failed. i am adjusting. i am fixing, and we will move forward from there. >> reporter: similar to the distribution of pfizer's vaccine, u.p.s. and fedex will split deliveries of moderna's. this all coming during the busiest time of the year for both companies. as the covid-19 pandemic

materialized, that was just an added layer to our planning process. >> reporter: at the u.p.s. world port in louisville, captain mike meyer, a friend of mine since childhood, is in the cockpit, a former air force fighter pilot, he's now on one of the most high-profile missions of his career. >> hopefully, we're going to save some lives getting the vaccine out there. all hands on deck at the u.p.s. airlines to get the job done, and we're excited to be a part of it. >> reporter: for driver todd elbie, who last his father to covid last month delivering these vaccines, it's deeply personal. >> after many years at u.p.s., this has been my most important load that i've hauled. and to bring this back, i feel dad was in the truck with me today. >> reporter: also today, vice

president elect biden will receive the vaccine later today, along with dr. jill biden, and one other note here, craig. that is because you need a follow-up vaccination, the experts say don't mix the vaccinations. in other words if your first dose is pfizer, your follow-up must be pfizer. you can't mix pfizer and moderna. they are both independent vaccines. back to you. >> an important note, indeed. tom costello, thank you. joining us now, nbc news medical contributor dr. vin gupta. dr. gupta, more than half a million americans have been vaccinated so far. first the pfizer vaccine, moderna rolling out its vaccine now. where are we in the fight to get this thing ufifight to get this thing under control in our country? >> good morning, craig you know, it's still going to be an uphill climb, as all forecasts are suggesting, especially the one from the university of washington, we're expecting vaccinations will not really impact the course of this pandemic until the early spring. so, march/april timeframe. we think around that time we'll probably have averted, hopefully, at least 40,000 deaths here in this country.

that just raises the spectra, how important it is to continue to avoid nonessential travel, to continue to mask distance. all the control measures that really matter at this point of the year. >> dr. gupta, there appears to be some indication that this moderna vaccine especially could actually eliminate transmission. how significant would that be? and how long will it take for us to know whether that's actually the case >> both companies, pfizer and moderna, are actively developing a data set to answer that question moderna, as you suggested, in the data they've presented, have presented early data, suggesting that transmission in addition to severe infection are both averted with their vaccine we're going to have some greater clarity on this in the next four weeks. again, both companies in addition to the companies with candidate vaccines in the pipeline are trying to answer

this question more vigorously with data points if this is true, craig, i think it's important there's a sense out there i've heard from some americans, once i get the vaccine, i'm going back to normal life. we are begging people not to do that but if we can get some clarity on this issue, it will allow some degree of normalcy, perhaps, a little more quickly for those who have gotten vaccinated open question, we still need people to keep their guard up. >> dr. gupta, you were one of the first folks vaccinated last week there in seattle. in fact, you did it right here live on the "today" show at this point, any lingering side effects as you know, there are still a lot of people watching and listening that are very reluctant about the idea of getting a vaccine, shot in their arm that was developed in less than a year. >> not at all, craig

that 24-hour time period you know, 24 hours after i got the vaccine on air with you, i had a little left arm soreness that pretty much resolved within that 24-hour time period didn't have a fever. didn't have a headache looking forward to getting that second dose on january 6th and i would appreciate the platform to do it on air. >> really quickly before i let you go, news out of great britain this morning, out of the uk that there's a mutation, apparently, that they've discovered that could be 70% more transmissible how concerned are you about it >> craig, we don't know a whole lot about that 70% number, and that is based on the numbers out of the lab and not of data amongst the humans and really it is based on the behavior of the humans in britain and south africa and that strain of the virus, and so more to be

determined on that specific issue. also , let me say that this vaccine and that i have seen questions on this, that it is going to be the vaccine is effective against that and that it is going to be taking years before the influenza is going to be taking years for that process to occur for covid-19, and some time down the road, we may have to remodify the covid-19 vaccine if we need to take it through the course, but not now, because this vaccine is going to be effective against the strain rest assured. >> good to hear, dr. vin gupta. hoda we're keeping an eye on that massive russian hack calling for a strong response to the widespread cyber attack. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams has more. pete, one of the questions is, does the intelligence community know just how extensive this

hack was >> no, not yet it hit the major departments of the government and several dozen u.s. corporations, but they're still trying to figure out how many systems were compromised and what the russians saw in what appears to be one of the most massive spying operations in recent history. intelligence officials and cyber security experts do say it appears to have affected only the unclassified systems not the computer networks containing secret and top secret information, but senator mitt romney says it was still extraordinarily damaging. >> you can bring a country to its knees if people don't have electricity, don't have water and can't communicate. and basically what russia appears to have done is put themselves in those systems in our country. they don't need rockets to take those things out they potentially have the capability to take out all of those things and doing it remotely, at a very small cost. >> members of both parties are saying the u.s. must respond and not just with the usual moves to impose economic sanctions.

ron klain, president-elect biden's chief of staff is suggesting that the incoming administration would have some type of cyber counter attack that would degrade the capability of foreign governments to engage in this kind of massive hacking. hoda. >> all right pete williams. pete, thank you so much. it is now 18 minutes past the hour and that means it's time for -- it's roker time, as we call it what have you got for us, al >> well, we're looking at a quick system that will be a quick hit moving across the great lakes, into the northeast. bringing light snow, light rain. we're talking a few inches of snow, especially along the spine of the appalachians from west virginia into pennsylvania what we're really watching is right on wednesday, big storm system will be making its way east rain from the gulf or great lakes on the back side heavy snow in the upper great lakes. rain and strong storms move east into christmas eve with heavy rain and wind in new england on christmas day and on the back side of that, more snow. could be even flooding contingency possible on christmas day because of the melting snow and very heavy rain, upwards of three inches of snow

and then behind that, we could see anywhere from two to six inches of snow western new york, western p.a. into ohio. lighter snow into the upper midwest and the good news is that you may end up with a white christmas, but the bad news is that you may have rain on your presents. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in 30 seconds.

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we take a look at our fog and visibility, we've seen some really good fog, watch out for that. if you're about to head out the door, visibility cut down to zero. as we go through the rest of the week on this first day of winter, we're looking at sunshine, highs reaching into the upper 50s and low 60s. closer to christmas looking at rain set to move in on christmas day. and that is your latest weather. hoda >> all right, al thank you so much. coming up, an american college student pleading for mercy from inside a caribbean jail the reason she's behind bars breaking covid protocols while she was on vacation. we'll hear from her family and tell you how the white house may be getting involved. craig? also ahead on this monday

morning, with just four days to go now until christmas, what you need to know to pick up those last-minute gifts and even save some cash at the same time and, yes, they're apparently both still possible. we'll show you how but first this is "today" on nbc.

coming up. savannah sits down with tom hanks about his new movie. it has him trying something new, hoda. >> i'll take your hanks and raise you a jenna who has oprah winfrey. ♪ did you know that geico's whole 15 minutes thing... that came from me. really. my first idea was "in one quarter of an hour, your savings will tower... over you. figuratively speaking." but that's not catchy, is it? that's not going to swim about in your brain.

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but with walmart's low prices, you still know how to do it up. and keep costs down. let's end the year enjoying more. ♪ you are all i need baby baby to get by ♪ good morning to you. i'm kris sanchez. it is 7:26. here are today's top stories including the first batch of that moderna vaccine headed to the bay area. >> reporter: i'm jackie ward in san jose where santa clara county expects to be getting more than 39,000 doses of the moderna vaccine. this as tens of thousands of that dose is on its way to the bay area right now. tomorrow is when they expect to get those vaccines. today, however, marin county is expecting to get 3,100 and alameda county's advisory group meets tonight to talk about vaccine prioritization. in total between the moderna and

pfizer vaccines they believe more than 8 million vaccines have been allocated across the country. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. we are watching washington carefully. we do expect that coronavirus relief bill to pass today. also yesterday the congress passed a 24-hour extension on spending for the federal government, meaning they have less than 24 hours to keep the government open. a lot happening in washington today. all right. a lot happening in the weather department. it's the first day of winter and we have a spare the air alert, kari. yeah, we're dealing with that unhealthy air quality for today. if you are sensitive to it, limit your time outside. we are not supposed to be burning the fireplace or any wood because that would contribute to the air quality that we'll see especially in the north bay, the east bay as well as santa clara valley. dry weather continues and as we go through the week it will stay

dry but we're watching out for some rain on friday. kris? all right. we're looking forward to that and we have more local news coming up for you in just a half hour. of course midday newscast at 11:00.

i got a pen and i got a robe ♪ ♪ i got an outdoor cameo ♪ from mclovin ♪ i got a drone ♪ i got a robe ♪ thanks for the robe ♪ it is really really nice ♪ i love this robe it is really really great ♪ >> oh, that is kristin wiig there speaking for so many moms

there. hilarious snl alum hosting "saturday night live" this weekend, making christmas special for the family. don't forget to get mom a little something extra. >> i have a feeling lindsay and deborah have never felt that pain of the robe am i right oh, okay all right. we'll call them a little later and check it out all right, guys, why don't you say we get a check of your 7:30 headlines the eruption of the kilauea volcano is a fluid situation smoke and ash could be seen rising above the crater. people are being warned to stay inside and be prepared to leave. kilauea is located inside hawaii's volcano national park, craig. also this morning, high interest in georgia's two senate runoffs next month already generating a huge number of votes and more than 1.3

million ballots have been cast since early voting started last week, and that is almost as many as in the november general election. the party control of the u.s. senate is at stake there david purdue has been challenged by john ossoff the other is kelly loeffler facing the reverend warnoff, hoda. motorized parachute got snagged on power lines near sacramento sunday. power had to be cut off to the neighborhoods so firefighters could make the rescue, the officials say that man had a good intentions by delivering holiday cheer by delivering candy canes to local children. >> that is why you use the reindeer. that is why you use the reindeer. >> exactly. in other news this monday morning, an american college student is in jail for breaking

covid-19 protocol while on vacation the 18-year-old premed student from georgia is serving a four-month sentence in the cayman islands her family now fighting to get her out. nbc's stephanie gosk has the latest on this controversial case and how the white house is now perhaps getting involved steph, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig. you know, the cayman islands is a british territory in the caribbean. they've not had many covid cases. just over 300, and two deaths. and they're trying to keep those numbers low, so they are cracking down on visitors who don't follow the rules something one american student is learning the hard way >> reporter: schuyler mack's vacation to the cayman islands got an unexpected court-ordered extension. the 18-year-old premed student from georgia is serving a four-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to breaking her 14-day isolation period required by the government for visitors. >> she cries she wants to come home

she knows she made a mistake she owns up to that, but she's pretty hysterical right now. >> reporter: according to her attorney, mack arrived in the cayman islands last month to visit her boyfriend, vanjae ramgeet, testing negative before she left and negative again when she arrived. two days into her isolation period, they attended a jet ski competition together, mack leaving her monitoring device at home. >> it's not like her to make this kind of mistake but she knows she screwed up she knows she should have to pay for it. >> reporter: mack and ramgeet were charged and initially sentenced to community service and a fine but a prosecutor argued that the punishment was too lenient and the sentences were changed to jail time. >> this would have a particularly harsh, what the court would have considered the individual before it not just the crime. >> reporter: mack isn't the first visitor to break covid-19 rules in the cayman islands but she and her boyfriend are the

first to be sentenced to new, harsher penalties. weeks before, a canadian couple was reportedly ordered to pay $2,400 in fines for breaking the rules. days after mack and ramgeet's sentencing, the governor of the cayman islands made this plea online. >> all of us have to show individual and collective responsibility if we're going to effectively deal with this pandemic. >> reporter: mack's family just wants her home. >> we're not asking for her to get an exception we're asking for her not to be the exception. >> and we mentioned, steph, at the top of this that the white house may be getting involved. what's going on there? >> reporter: yeah, mack's grandmother wrote to president trump asking for help. she got back a response that her case would be forwarded along to the appropriate federal agency, most likely the state department also, mack's attorney will be in front of appeals court tomorrow, arguing for a lesser sentence. hoda and craig, back to you guys. >> all right, stephanie gosk for us there steph, thank you.

still ahead here, last-minute christmas shopping even trickier than it used to be bad news for folks like me but there are some silver linings for all those procrastinators out there. >> no kidding. 11th hour deals and perks to take advantage of. plus a neat new way to check crowd sizes before you risk going into a store we'll fill in, after this. ♪ i don't know where i am, ♪ i don't know where i've been ♪ but i know where i wanna go at target, order today and get it today! just use target same day delivery or drive up.

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and if you still have some shopping to do, apparently you're not alone. hoda? >> don't panic. keep calm. we're going to take care of you, getting those last-minute gifts will be a little more difficult than in years past. nbc news, business and tech correspondent jo ling kent is on the job. she's going to tell us what we need to know. hey, jo, good morning. >> reporter: that's right, hoda, craig. we're going to take care of you. an estimated million people shopping on super saturday alone i know. i was one of them. because santa's big day doesn't fall until later this week, you can expect even more shoppers out in full force before christmas day, putting more pressure on stores and customers to deliver in this very

challenging time. this morning, the present panic is setting in. >> it's ramping up now. >> reporter: as last-minute shoppers dash to get those final gifts. >> i wait till the last minute every year. doesn't fail. >> reporter: with only four days till christmas, it may be too late to buy online. >> we're getting to that point where the delivery times are not matching up with christmas. so, sometimes you have to go in person. >> reporter: in a year like no other, expect pandemic shopping to slow the holiday hurry, as retailers enforce physical distancing, enhanced cleaning measures and capacity limits, meaning the lines to get inside may be longer than the checkout. and, yes, the need to mask up. >> i go out with gloves, face shield and i wear two masks most times. >> reporter: what is the biggest challenge for retailer in these last few days? >> everyone's number one priority is to keep those store associates safe and healthy. >> reporter: to avoid crowds all together, go contactless. today is best buy's christmas delivery deadline for large home items. and you'll have until 2:00 p.m. for walmart's free next day

shipping on orders over $35. for those ultra procrastinators, target, macy's and sephora have teamed up with door dash and instacart to deliver within hours. these online shopping deadlines come just as retail giant amazon closed one of its warehouses in northern new jersey on saturday until december 26th, until experiencing what it calls an uptick in asymptomatic positive coronavirus cases. if you need more options, businesses big and small are offering curbside and express in-store pickup. it may take an additional day for your order to be ready. and if you arrive during peak hours, you might not dodge those lines. >> have a wonderful holiday. >> reporter: still, shopping last minute could save you cash. holiday-themed gift baskets are at their lowest prices in the final days before christmas. and stores like nordstrom and bed bath & beyond are offering free gift wrapping, something eager elves couldn't take advantage of.

>> jo, useful tips there. what else have you got? what are the best ways to avoid those large lines if you're shopping or you're picking up gifts in person? >> so avoid the peak shopping times, you check the google maps that is a function that you can see if the crowds are looking pretty big if you are looking to make the trip in person, so look at the phone in person before you head out. you also want to be ready to wait in the car because the curbside wait times are definitely up compared to last year, and of course, map out the plan b to look at local store locations, and different brands if the lines outside are looking too long for the comfort, and then you also and i know that i say this all of the time to have a digital gift waiting in the wings just in case your in-person shopping doesn't work out.

>> sounds like my personal gift favorite, a gift card, hoda kotb. >> yes, the top of the list. and you have to be so organized to beat the lines. >> and you know what i do, i go, look, craig melvin, and then i run to the front of the line. it works every time. >> i am going to give it a go. what have you got, al roker? >> everybody love a game? >> i love a game. >> let's go. >> who had the most recent white christmas? between atlanta and new york, who had the most white christmas? >> i'm going with atlanta because it seems unlikely. >> let's find out. who the recent -- >> i'll go new york. >> oh, no, atlanta, 2012. boom. next one, let's bring it in. bring in those snow globes. boston, minneapolis, who had the most recent? >> minneapolis! >> craig? >> boston. >> let's see. show me the globe. 2019, minneapolis. hoda. >> you can't stop me. >> here is the last one. here we go. seattle or chicago? who the most recent? >> chicago. >> craig?

>> chicago. >> you're both right and wrong. 2017, it was a tie. trick question. >> that's a trick. >> bam! all right. let's take a look at the white christmas forecast. here is what we've got the most likely if you have an inch of snow on the ground, that constitutes a white christmas. unlikely boston, new york and d.c., pittsburgh, possible -- i should say likely. detroit, chicago, knoxville, you're possible. bismarck, minneapolis, likely. milwaukee, cleveland, indianapolis, possible. omaha, st. louis, unlikely. out west, missoula, likely. unlikely seattle, reno and denver and salt lake, it is possible. ♪ i'm dreaming of a white i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at the fog

that we've seen, definitely reducing the visibility in the east bay. take it easy as you're heading out to work. and then after that sunshine in the forecast. we're going to have more cool mornings and fog developing, and we are holding out for some rain that will be moving in by the end of the week on christmas day it looks like we could see some showers and a christmas gift to the bay area. once again that could continue into the weekend. weather. by the way, it's not just the first day of winter, but it's also yosef herzog, our stage manager's birthday. >> happy birthday, yosef we love you. >> somebody answer that phone, or hang it up. ove you. >> somebody answer that still to come, golf fans seeing double this weekend tiger woods and 11-year-old charlie join together for a tournament more on that father/son duo that stole the show, coming up right after this

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don't miss our weekend special. save 50% on the sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed. plus, 0% interest for 48 months on all smart beds. ends monday. to learn more, go to sleepnumber.com. >> coming up, we've got savannah's one on one with tom hanks. everything from covid to the holidays to starring in his very first western. >> can't wait to see that. plus jenna reuniting with her best bud, oprah. all coming up after your local news and weather. >> hanks and oprah, wow! it's the fastest way to get what you need, today. at target.

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good morning to you. it's 7:56. i'm kris sanchez. here are our top stories for today. >> reporter: i'm bob redell in walnut creek. we know of at least one health care system in los angeles talking about the possibility of rationing health care as hospitals are on the verge of being overwhelmed by covid-19 cases. this graph, as you can see, shows the number hospitalized with the virus. hospitalizations just over 8,000. look at where we are now. as of saturday 17,750 people hospitalized with the virus. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson at sfo. folks keeping a close eye on the number of travelers heading out of town to join family or have a

vacation this holiday weekend. right now we do know that tsa says between friday and saturday there were 1 million travelers that took to the skies and here at sfo between friday and saturday 80,000 travelers visited this airport. all right. we want to take a look at our weather forecast. it's the first day of winter and it's feeling chilly. but better than that we have rain in the forecast, kari. yeah. later on down the line we do have rain. starting out with fog this morning and we will see the sunshine in the forecast throughout the week. but, yes, the rain coming in on christmas and it looks to continue off and on as we head into the weekend. kris? we have more local news coming up in just a half hour.

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if you choose to drink, choose a sober way to go. go safely, california. a drink with friends can turn into a few. stop! it's easy to lose track.

and getting a dui is easier than you think. plan ahead, call a cab. share a ride. if you choose to drink, choose a sober way to go. go safely, california. it's 8:00 on "today.

the good news coming amid new concerns that the virus has mutated with london locking down once again ahead of the holidays. we're live with everything you need to know. plus red, white and blue christmas. our look at the growing food crisis among military families in need of help. >> ten branches, nearly 400% increase in demand? >> yes. >> just ahead, what we can all do right now to pitch in. and christmas comes early. we talk to oprah winfrey and tom hanks this morning. jenna, going one on one with oprah to talk about their mutual love of reading. >> i will tell you one of the things that has been a great comfort to me during this time of isolation is being able to read the words of other people. >> as savannah talks to tom hanks about the holidays, his family and his latest role that's already getting oscar buzz. >> isn't it a holiday rule not to work with kids and animals? you have a kid and wimpy the horse.

>> i break those rules, savannah. those rules mean nothing to me. >> "today," monday, december 21st, 2020. >> it's the most wonderful time of the year. >> in virginia. >> brightest light in our life. >> happy birthday, grandma. ♪ what a beautiful sight >> love to celebrate this time of year, including gabrielle's 13th birthday. >> yay! >> sending love to my husband. >> my daddy. >> jared williams, currently deployed in the middle east. >> we love you. >> and we miss you. merry christmas. >> we love you, too. welcome back to "today." we're so glad you're with us. it's a chilly monday. we just want to point out where al and i are right now. we're outside, enjoying the fresh air. >> that's right. >> that is the most beautiful christmas tree you're going to see. >> gorgeous. >> right behind us here at 30 rock. you know what? every time we roll up in the morning, al, you pull up and you look at that. >> love it. stop for a moment. >> you look at it. people who come to visit the tree can stand six feet apart

and look at the tree. it's all pretty cool out here. craig joins us from home. savannah is taking much-deserved time off this holiday week. >> we miss you. >> yeah. >> by the way, if you're watching right now and you're just waking up, there's no shame in that, but we do want to remind you, you can always set that dvr for 7:00 a.m. and you can catch up on the first hour any time. you've missed a lot already. we've been at this for an hour now, hoda. >> and if you want a perspective, can we show where we are? jimmy, can we turn a little bit? we are literally steps away from our window. this is where people used to come and hang with us, al, remember? >> oh, yeah. >> remember when people came here? anyway, this is our window. >> march. >> our window to the world. guys, we are working on something that's near and dear to al's heart. it's not too late for you to get involved with our food drive. >> no. you know what, that's right, hoda. the qr code, by the way, it's

right there on your screen, bottom of your screen. this morning, the qr code is for feeding america. and if you're not familiar with this organization, it's fantastic. it's an amazing group that has helped and is helping the millions of folks who are struggling to just put food on the table this holiday season. >> yeah. >> we'll have more on feeding america in a bit, hoda. >> we sure do. we are going to, though, get you straight to your news at 8:00. there's a lot going on just days after it was approved for emergency use, the moderna vaccine on the way to hospitals and clinics across the country. congress is providing another type of relief. nbc's tom costello joins us now with the three things we need to watch. tom, good morning. >> hoda, good morning. lot of headlines this morning. let's begin with the financial news. that is, americans should start to see some financial help after congress passed this covid relief and stimulus plan overnight. here are the details. it's a $900 billion plan. it will be providing help to americans battered by the virus

as well as the economic fallout. the package will give $600 direct payments to individuals and boost unemployment benefits by $300 per week. it will also include money for small businesses as well as rental aid and food assistance, and it extends the moratorium, we should tell you, on foreclosures as well. also this morning, great britain is essentially cut off from the rest of much of europe this morning, and even canada. that, after concerns of a mutant strain of covid-19 has really got the country greatly concerned right now. much of europe, as well, have cut travel ties to the uk. also cutting supplies to grocery stores, going into the christmas week. this new strain is not thought to be more deadly, but it can spread much more easily, up to 70% more infectious. prime minister boris johnson is warning that this new strain is a danger to the country, although it has already shown up in other european countries as well. meanwhile the moderna news you

just mentioned, hoda, moderna vaccine rolling across the country. 6 million doses of it today, throughout the week, i should say. that's in addition to 2 million doses of the pfizer vaccine. it started rolling out in mississippi overnight. we should tell you, the priority continues to be front line medical workers and nursing home residents and staff. and the cdc is now saying that the next group to be vaccinated should be people over the age of 75, and essential workers, like emergency responders, teachers, postal workers, public transit employees and people who work in the food supply chain, including grocery store workers as well. can't see anything without my glasses, craig. back to you. >> tom costello, thanks as always, sir. as we head into the holiday travel season, flying may still have its risks. a united flight headed to los angeles diverted to new orleans after a passenger had a medical emergency on board and later

died. the man's wife was overheard telling emts he had covid-like symptoms. nbc's blayne alexander has that report for us this morning. blayne, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning to you. health officials have spent the past few weeks pleading with americans not to travel this holiday season, and that is certainly the case for anyone who has displayed covid-like symptoms. still some 85 million americans are predicted to travel between december 23rd and january 3rd as stories like this for many are reason for concern. it was just 20 minutes into the united flight from orlando to los geleanwhen a passenger needed medical attention. >> he just had his head down and he was just, you know, breathing

really heavily. >> reporter: these tmz images show passengers rushing to his aid, performing cpr as the flight was diverted to new orleans. the passenger was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. while the cause of death has not been confirmed, this morning there is rolling outrage and fear after fellow passengers say the man's wife revealed her husband was experiencing covid-like symptoms before boarding the plane. when you heard that, what did you think? >> i did cpr. my entire mind-set the whole time was this man needs cpr. you know, covid or not. >> reporter: tony aldapa sprang into action, but two days after the flight, the e.r. technician says that he started experiencing covid symptoms himself. do you regret giving him care on that flight? >> absolutely not. covid or not, everyone deserves some care. >> reporter: afterward, the plane continued on to los angeles, with many of the passengers still on board. in a statement, united airlines says at the time of the diversion, we were informed the passenger had suffered a cardiac arrest, so passengers were given the option to take a later flight or continue on with their travel plans. adding that the airline is sharing requested information with the cdc.

the agency says it is taking steps to determine if further public health action is appropriate. across the country, as more passengers take flight, more close calls. a couple arrested earlier this month after testing positive for covid, then boarding a united flight from california to hawaii anyway. >> when people get on flights and violate the policies that say that if you are sick, you need to stay home this puts everyone else in jeopardy because there is no way to properly be safe on an airplane if you don't have these layers in place. so one person puts everyone at risk. >> reporter: now, craig, the passenger who performed cpr, tony, tells me his first covid test did come back negative. he's currently quarantining, awaiting the results of a second test. united airlines does require passengers to sign a precheck flight list, promising they don't have any covid-like symptoms before getting on board but nelson says the honor system

is just not enough. situations like this makes that clear, she says. she believes there needs to be some sort of government guidelines to determine what sort of precautions passengers need to take before they're allowed to get on board. craig? >> blayne alexander, thank you. hoda kotb, it feels like we've got the news covered. how about a morning boost? >> i've got one for you. a little girl named colbie has cerebral palsy and was told she may never walk again. but after surgery she learned how to use her walker with the help of her great grandmother. >> come on. >> how sweet is that? colbie's great grandmother, 91 years old, still on the move. they take daily strolls together. both of them, by the way, defying the odds. go, colbie, go. >> that's a sweet one. >> good, huh? >> that's a good one.

still to come on "today," military families sacrificing so much for their country yet without the means to put food on the table at times. why the demand for assistance is sky rocketing and what we can all do to help, coming up right after this. tremfya®. uncover clearer skin that can last. janssen can help you explore cost support options. tremfya®. uncover clearer skin that can last. ♪ ♪

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>> so important, carson, hoda. we've seen the food lines across the country. talked about the fact that demand during the pandemic has doubled. in the military community more like 400% in some places.

>> and what happened? >> well, covid happened. and unfortunately, i lost my job in july due to the virus. >> in a million years, did you expect to find yourself in the position where you are right now? >> never. i've always been someone who has paid for everything myself. took care of myself. put myself through school. paid my own rend.

welcome back, as we say good morning to carson and turn our attention to a troubling trend. they risk everything for our country, but many u.s. service men and women and their families are really struggling. >> yeah. among the many needs becoming more pressing for the military community. food assistance is rising to the top of the list. nbc's sam brock joins us now from ft. bragg, north carolina, with more on this important story. sam, good morning. >> so important, carson, hoda, good morning. we've seen the food lines across the country, talked about the fact that demand during the pandemic has basically doubled. in the military community it's more like 400% in some places. here at ft. bragg, soon to be stepping out, talking about her struggles in hopes that it encourages others to seek help themselves. at a food pantry in ft. bragg run by the ymca�-- >> any specific needs your family need this is month? >> canned vegetables and canned fruit. >> reporter: rachel sabo is collecting the basics. she moved to the military base when her husband joined the army. she has a degree in interior design and a baby due on christmas. now a stunning swing of fortunes. what happened? >> well, covid happened and, unfortunately, i got�-- i lost my job in july due to the virus. >> reporter: in a million years, did you expect to find yourself in the position where you are right now? >> never. i have always been someone who has paid for everything myself, took care of myself, put myself through school, paid my own rent. >> reporter: many military families are now trying to

navigate the same humbling course. the armed services ymca says employment for spouses has always been more difficult with ever-changing locations and deployments, but add a generational pandemic and the group is seeing jaw-dropping need at its ten pantries nationwide. >> san diego in particular, about four-fold in terms of the increase. >> reporter: ten branches that you help. you're saying nearly a 400% increase in demand? >> yes. >> reporter: other groups are tracking unnervingly trends. helping service members and their families which saw food insecurity surge to its top need from march on ahead of employment and housing. >> so there's a lot of stigma and shame, and the families have said to us, you know, yes, our children are hungry but that food is not for us. it's for the people we serve. >> reporter: even sabo acknowledges it wasn't easy to come forward. her parents had to refinance their home to help her with student loans. does it hurt you that it's affecting your entire family? >> yeah, it does. i mean�-- sorry. i just need a minute. >> reporter: ft. bragg's garrison commander wants their families to know help is available from child care to employment assistance. >> armed services ymca are an important part of the community here at ft. bragg. >> reporter: sabo says it's her hope highlighting her own hardship will encourage others to seek help. >> would you rather ask for help or because you're embarrassed to ask for help to put food on your table. >> reporter: actually rendering them ineligible for federal food assistance programs, a problem congress has tried to remedy and so far has failed. according to blue star families typical junior enlisted member makes between $1700 and $2700 a month. when you pair that with the fact that military spouses face higher levels of unemployment and underemployment, you can understand why so many families are struggling right now. back to you. >> and sam, i'm sure people at home are wondering, how can i help? how can i help? al you have important information of how viewers can help out. >> that's right. during this season of giving, you'll find this qr code on the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. open your camera on your phone, point to it like that.

you'll see a notification at the top of your phone and click on it and that will take you to today.com with more ways to help feeding america right now, or you can go straight to our website at today.com/feedingamerica. you can also go to today.com to find out how to help our nation's military families. so, all in all, we've got to do something about this. it's just not right. that's what's going on around >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at the visibility, fog a big issue for parts of the east bay as well as the north bay. visibility down to zero as we get that fog coming in. as we go into the rest of today, we're going to see sunshine.

the fog gradually clearing in some of those spots, and the rest of the week is still looking pretty dry. we'll have issues with air quality and highs reaching into the low 60s in the valleys. rain will arrive in time for christmas day. he took some time this week, savannah caught up with tom, who was heading back home after several months shooting another film in australia. >> "news of the world" is a stunning odyssey through texas in 1870. >> stop! stop i'm not going to hurt you. do you understand english? >> the film follows the journey of an orphaned girl, johanna, played by helena zengel, and captain jefferson kyle kidd, played by tom hanks, a civil war veteran who earns a living on the road reading newspapers to remote and sometimes rough and tumble communities. >> ladies and gentlemen, my name is captain jefferson kyle kidd i'm here tonight to read the news from across this great

world of ours. >> like the original podcaster for ten cents, listen what i have to say. >> or news anchor. >> oh, hey i should have gone there absolutely right the reason kidd goes around and reads this news is to inform them, engage them and enlighten them. >> you go. take the horses and go. >> you're out west i loved how your producer, gary gutzman said it. it's time for you to get your butt in the saddle. >> i loved the saddle and the horse. >> i wondered if your backside was a little sore from that rickety old carriage you have. >> oh, my lord you end up inhabiting a lot of positions that you don't normally by and large, i think i can act almost anything, including hopping on a horse and making it go you cannot act riding a horse if you do not know how to ride a horse.

you just don't sit up there and do something. me and wimpy was his name, and we spent an awful lot of time together and he acquiesced to my presence more than not. >> wait, was the horse's name really wimpy. >> wimpy was his name and that was my riding horse. >> i was thinking about the challenge of playing with a child, and then the double challenge of playing when the child's character doesn't even speak english. >> she speaks kiowa, because she was taken by the kiowa when she was a baby and helena is german, 11 years old and already speaks two, maybe three languages as far as i know i don't want to call her a child actor, because that has connotations of technique as opposed to soul. a lot of times kids, you know, whether they are natural actors

or not, and they can be like working with parents who have learned their lines and never -- but look, i'm 64 years old and i wish i could be as easy and free and loose on camera as she was. >> by the way, isn't it a hollywood rule that you don't work with kids and animals you've got a kid and you have wimpy, the horse. >> i break those rules, savannah those rules mean nothing to me the reason you don't want to work with kids and animals is because both of them can easily steal the scene from you that happened again and again with helena and occasionally wimpy stole focus as well, little brat. but you just have to roll with those punches. >> i have to ask, how are you and rita you went through covid i know you're feeling better are you excited about the vaccine? is that something you're looking forward to taking? >> we'll be getting it long after everybody who truly needs to get it. but yes, we had it it was a tough couple of ten days but much more important is the second half of the covid-19

formula is that we didn't give it to anybody, you know. locking down we wear masks and we still do not just so we don't catch it but so that you don't give it to somebody in case you are one of those kind of like asymptomatic carriers. >> if they asked you because you're tom hanks and everyone loves you and trusts you, hey, will you do it publicly, would you consider doing that, when it was your turn? >> yeah, sure. yeah. >> last thing, what is going to happen at the hanks' for christmas? the hanks' holiday >> well, i'll tell you, because dad has been gone for as long as he has, it's going to be a little bit on the muted side, but we have yet to decorate the tree and i have essentially -- what's the day today? the 17th >> yeah. >> i have eight shopping days, actually really only nine --

seven shopping days left till christmas. >> you haven't done your shopping >> what was i going to bring back from australia, hand-painted boomerang and jars of vegemite? no i got a couple of things but i'll be hitting up whatever stores are open. >> i know. i'll see you there thank you so much. happy holidays good morning. it's 8:26. i'm marcus washington. governor gavin newsom this morning back in quarantine. this after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus. according to his office, so far the governor and all staff members who came in contact with the infected person have tested negative. all will be treated again, or tested again, i should say, in the coming days and state guidelines call for a ten-day quarantine. this is the second time in a month the governor has been quarantined in november. it happened after his children were exposed. let's get a look at that forecast for us today. meteorologist kari hall standing

by. >> we've seen some fog moving through some of our inland areas. mostly clear in san francisco. we're going to see sunshine for today. temperatures warming up into the low 60s. and we are dry all week long in this first week of christmas. but then on christmas day, looks like we could get a new round of rain coming in and a pretty good soaking for the weekend from friday into saturday and then another round of rain in the forecast on sunday. meantime, san francisco will see temperatures in the upper 50s and low 60s all throughout the week. marcus? >> thanks, kari. going to have another local news update coming up for you in 30 minutes. i'll see you back here then.

♪ santa baby 8:30 now on this monday morning, the 21st of december, just four days away from christmas. looks like our plaza crowd is quite in the festive mood. and you know what, hoda kotb, i'm celebrating today as well. it just so happens to be my mother's birthday. >> ahh. >> betty jo.

>> betty jo. >> she wouldn't mind me telling you that she is 65 years young. we are celebrating betty joe today. >> happy birthday. >> i just realized, i'm older than craig's mother. >> i wasn't going to say it. but yes. yes. >> happy birthday, betty jo. >> happy birthday. coming up this half hour, jenna catches up with her fellow bookworm, oprah. they bond over their love of reading and a toni morrison classic and oprah shares how she kept her spirits up during the pandemic plus a heartwarming surprise we'll introduce you to a family who faced the unimaginable before covid even hit. they've handled every challenge that came their way with help from their community this morning, we have a way to put some smiles on those faces excited to tell you about that, craig. also, carson, in a few minutes ahead on the third hour

of "today" one of the most remarkable comeback stories ever. sheinelle spent some time with nfl quarterback alex smith, and he opened up and he and his wife, they both opened up about his journey after what was really a life-threatening injury and how some wounded service members actually helped him along the way. it is a really cool story, and we will have that for you in a few minutes. hoda >> and coming up tomorrow on "today," it goes without saying that it is a tough year, and we are going to shine a light from all of the positive moments of the health care heroes working around the clock on the front line heroes and plus the everyday heroes lending a helping hand and the best of 2020 and the moments that opened our eyes and hearts and probably one of the best stories around, and first, mr. roker, a check of the weather? >> yes, a little celestial weather to talk about, and something that does not happen all that often, and in fact, it

is basically the conjunction of jupiter and saturn after sunset tonight, and looking into the southwest sky after sunset, and jupiter and saturn will appear together just after the horizon, and so jupiter and saturn conjunction appears once after every 20 year, but this is the closest jupiter and saturn conjunction was here i was here for this, in 1226 it's unbelievable. just when we discovered darkness it was unbelievable. a conjunction obstruction in the northeast to the great lakes, starry night through the central plains, in the southeast, high, thin clouds down through the gulf rockies chill with sunshine, snow squalls on christmas eve around the great lakes heavy rain the eastern third of the country, then christmas day, mo

>> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at our first day of winter forecast, we'll see temperatures today reaching into the low 60s. we've had a lot of fog this morning, but it will be clearing out as we go into today. as we go into the next several days, these cold mornings and mild afternoons will continue. and then for friday, we're getting ready for some rain on christmas day. late in the evening. and off and on throughout the weekend as we'll see our temperatures cooling back into the mid-50s. "conjunction junction". ♪ conjunction junction what's your function ♪ >> yeah. coming up next, jenna catches up with oprah, sharing what she has learned from this challenging year and how books have helped her get through it first this is "today" on nbc to all the businesses that helped us

make it through 2020... thank you for going the extra mile... and for the extra pump of caramel. thank you for the good food... and the good karma. thank you for all the deliveries... especially this one. you've reminded us that no matter what, we can always find a way to bounce forward. so thank you, to our customers and to businesses everywhere, from all of us at comcast business.

all right. this is a big one. jenna, i hear you have a pretty amazing end to your book club this month. >> i really do this year marks the 50th anniversary of my favorite book,

"the bluest eye" by toni morrison. at the center of this story is a 12-year-old who just wants to feel valued. so i had the chance to talk to oprah winfrey, who also chose "the bluest eye" for her own book club 30 years ago, about the novel and what she's learned from this trying year. good afternoon, oprah. i'm so happy to see you. >> well, i'm happy to see you, too. still in lockdown quarantine i actually have adjusted to it i don't know if i'll ever leave, because i figured out how to do interviews from my living room and, actually, to feel like it's okay. >> we started the year on a major tour, so it's kind of only fitting that we're ending the year together. >> yeah. can you believe we started in ft. lauderdale, and throughout this entire lockdown period, throughout this whole time i kept thinking, wow, you survived nine cities and thousands and thousands of selfies.

>> i know. >> and hugging and dancing and singing. and when the virus was moving throughout the country. >> i know. >> so you should be able to be at home and stay safe. >> it was my new year's resolution to be with you at the beginning of the year, and i just thought 2020 is going to be the best year yet. so far, that hasn't been the case we both turned to books, including "the bluest eye" for comfort. >> to be able to read toni morrison during a pandemic on a sunny day -- >> yes. >> -- in a hammock is one of the greatest joys in my life. >> with morrison's words providing a sense of community and understanding. >> one of the things that i think she's able to do in this book is the same thing i've always tried to do in my work and one of the reasons why i started the book club, certainly one of the reasons you have, too, is to let people know that

they are not alone. >> yes. >> and that is what this book did. it liberated so many women to see, ahh, i had those feelings i've known what that feels like, what that experience is like. >> yes. >> you're not alone. that somebody else knows what it's like. >> in a year when people are filled with pain in our country, you said this about miss morrison you said she asks us to follow our own pain, to reckon with it, and to transcend it. >> that is exactly what happens when you read "the bluest eye. you understand how people get stuck in the pain and burrowed down with it i think to be able to follow the pain and actually deal with the pain and then eventually transcend the pain, that is what her storytelling has been about. >> for those who are hurting, those that feel not heard, those that feel sad, what will you say? how do you keep your beautiful spirit up? >> well, i will tell you that one of the things that has been a great comfort to me during this time of isolation is being able to read the words of other people and one of the things that i do

one of the things that has been a great comfort to me during this time literally, every morning is i read some daily spiritual passage that is uplifting to me, and i recently started turning to poetry. i just read a couple of stanzas of any particular poem, opened to any page. i find it calms and soothes me in a way poetry feels like prayer to me and so i have allowed this time for myself, and i think for other people who are feeling the strain of the isolation to go inward and determined to come out better than we did when we went in. what is the vision you hold for yourself when this is done happiness is having something to

look forward to. one of my favorite definitions of happiness so what is the vision you hold for yourself it's all about how you see it. >> right >> how you choose to see it. how are you going to use all the stuff that happened to you this year, and turn that pain, that suffering, that sacrifice into power? how do you turn the pain into power? that's the goal. >> toni morrison would have turned 90 next year. it's been a year and a half since she has passed away. do you miss her? >> we will always have her, because we will always have her words. i honestly appreciate the fact that this -- knowing that i was going to have this conversation with you, jenna, knowing that it allowed me to revisit "the bluest eye" in a way i probably wouldn't if i just sat down. so keep spreading the word about

books. and, you know, somebody was asking me the other day, you know, did i feel, you know, because she was -- you were choosing the book, did i feel some sense of competition or something. are you kidding me, honey child, i said are you kidding me i want as many people to be exposed to all the books as possible so, as i said, if you hadn't chosen it and i knew that the 50th anniversary was coming up, i would have done it again, because i love it that much. >> to get to speak to oprah about what is both of our favorite books was pretty incredible. that is a pinch-me moment. by the way, that book back on new york time's best seller's list. >> yes, and i got to speak with toni's son, exactly who you think he would be, a gentleman and so lovely. this is all part of a celebration of toni morrison, the first-ever read with jenna special streaming on "today," all day at 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. eastern and pacific. >> jenna, awesome. thank you so much. we'll be back in a moment.

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>> announcer: heroes among us is created by "today" with our sponsor, ford. built for america. we are coming up on 8:45 with more of our series "heroes among us." it's been a tough year to just about everyone, but some families are suffering through so much more on top of this pandemic craig? >> this morning, hoda, we want to tell folks about one family who are already facing the unimaginable before coronavirus, but still found a way to keep smiling. and sheinelle has their inspiring story. sheinelle, good morning. >> i do. this family, i promise you, will stay in my heart for the rest of my career. as if a pandemic wasn't enough to deal with in one year, the bertram family faced the unthinkable. their 5-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer, changing their lives overnight.

but thanks to the support of their community, they've overcome every single challenge. with the help of our sponsor, ford, who introduced us to this incredible family, we wanted to do something special for them and other families facing the same struggle, just in time for the holidays take a look. there's no stopping 5-year-old ford bertram. >> yeah! >> like any other kid his age, he likes running around, playing with his siblings, and he loves super heroes. >> he has always had that personality. he has always been independent, positive, tough. >> but in january, his parents noticed something was wrong. >> he was waking up with leg pains, and he would just start screaming in the middle of the night. so i took him to the doctor, and they said that it was growing pains. >> they quickly learned it was much more than growing pains blood work revealing devastating news it was leukemia. ford was immediately admitted to the hospital, undergoing surgery and starting chemotherapy.

>> the first month, he was like a different child. >> he went from a kid that was 100 miles an hour to the kid who had gained so much weight and was so swollen that we were having to carry him. >> amelia, pregnant with their fourth child at the time, struggling to wrap her mind around all of it what went through your mind as you realized everything you were about to go through? >> three kids, one with cancer and then a baby. financially, we didn't know how we were going to handle it. >> help came from matt's co-workers, fellow firefighters at two local fire departments outside of birmingham, alabama. >> sitting in the e.r., waiting for a diagnosis, there was half a dozen firemen sitting out there with my family i don't think that there was a single day that we were in the hospital that we didn't have people come by, drop stuff off. >> but just a month later, the pandemic hit, adding another layer of stress. >> everyone was buying all the lysol wipes. >> and hand sanitizer.

and just things that we were needing. >> actually needing. >> essential stuff. >> but the family made the best of the situation, with three kids and then a new baby locked down at home. >> the blessing was really that ford didn't have to feel like he was the only one having to isolate. so he didn't feel left out. >> ford has been in and out of the hospital all year, facing setbacks, but also making progress, and doing it with a smile on his face. >> you're in the thick of it so for me to ask you what you learned, we're all still learning here, but for you, how has it changed you guys already? >> this 5-year-old kid is bumping and grinding every day with a smile on his face, and you can't slow him down. and so just to see that resiliency is amazing. with everything that's going on and all the bad news, you come home and you see these kids that are all smiles, it kind of wipes all that bad away. >> i got to meet ford and see

that signature smile myself. >> hi, ford. how are you? >> good. >> are you excited for christmas? >> uh-huh. >> what would you tell santa right now that you would like for christmas? >> a skateboard. >> skateboard. >> is there anything else you want, ford >> legos. >> legos. >> pretty awesome. i'm giving you a high five, my friend after such a tough year, we wanted to spread some holiday cheer to the bertram family and other kids, like ford. so, we set up a little surprise, with some help from the local fire departments and lots of holiday decorations. the bertrams, waiting just outside children's in alabama, where ford gets his treatments after hearing your story and knowing all that you've been through, we wanted to do a little something special for you and for kids like ford, who come here for treatment. >> that is for you. >> that is so cool. >> that's awesome, man. >> with the help of our sponsor,

ford motor company, we set up this parade for the bertrams with a festive light display and a holiday greeting for the family there's still more. >> oh, my gosh. >> ford motor company built that truck filled with toys for your family. >> yay >> look, it's a skateboard. >> plus even more toys for the kids being treated at the hospital one last thing the company is donating $25,000 to the hospital in your honor, to help cover the cost of treatment. >> that's amazing. >> what's going through your mind >> i'm so thankful i'm so thankful. >> thank you >> i'm telling you and the joy does not stop there. ford's parents told me he just started the last phase of his treatment. >> yes. >> last month. they say he still has a way to go, but it is a huge milestone for him. we certainly wish them all the

best i walked away touched from them because they have the best attitudes. i mean, you know, they're juggling parenthood and helping this little guy and his siblings she was pregnant i mean, they have a wonderful spirit. >> you could tell even when they were making the comment about the wipes, and they could not find it, they were having humor about it. >> yes. >> when i come home and see those smiling faces, i get it. th

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because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. ♪ usaa let's put up the big board, because we've got a beautiful bunch on my today plaza. so much to celebrate it is monday of christmas week, and let's give a shout out. sweet morgan, 16 years old raise your hand, morgan. it is your birthday in colorado. we love you. where is the williams family in virginia let us see you yes, we love you guys. how about birthday girls carol and ella in kentucky where are carol and ella looking good. >> there they are. we've got an official

teenager, gabriella. where are you? >> i see you woo-hoo. >> it's julia's big 4-0 birthday all right. >> gorgeous family cute puppy, too. >> and ro, you'll see her 40 and raise her ten to your big 5-0. happy birthday. >> the tandens, looking good, guys. >> thanks for being with us, everybody. we appreciate it don't forget, you can sign up to join us at today.com/myplaza. you've got some birthdays yourself, mr. roker, to celebrate. >> let's spin those smuckers jars find out who we've got on there. it will be some nice folks, i'll tell you that. first off, happy 100th birthday to simeon holloway. he was one of the first 45 musicians in the first all-black navy band in 1942. we salute you for your service, sir. enid huntley of apoka, florida,

100. we asked her the secret to her longevity. she said it's a secret try her next year. evelyn guenther, happy 100th birthday a world traveler from spokane valley, washington. she has been there for 75 years. james landmon of pell city, alabama, also 100 years old, loves watching football with his grand kids and great grand kids. olive tiller from cranberry township, pennsylvania, 100 years old, volunteering her time to communities in need last but not least, happy 100th to esther mae eastwood of kissimmee, florida, married to the love of her life for over 60 years. if you would like to celebrate your loved one's milestone, le

us know at today.com/celebrate. one of my dearest friends, jenna miller, it's her birthday, too. lots of happy birthdays to them. coming up on hoda and jenna, surprised co-host. jenna is out today so they told me surprise i'll get used to it. ahead on the third hour today, we are primed and ready for dueling dishes, anne burrell and phil the grill will join us. first your local news and weather. good morning. it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. the vaccine now being rolled out

across the nation. u.s. marshals are helping deliver it to nearly 4,000 locations including hospitals in the bay area. so far, santa clara county is expected to receive close to 40,000 doses. marin county is expecting about 3100 doses. and we should learn more about how all bay area nine counties plan to administer the vaccine over the coming days. all eyes this morning on congress where lawmakers today are expected to pass a new federal stimulus bill. the $900 billion deal promises to provide $600 to most americans. and happening now for you, we're following those stories along with ongoing concerns about california hospitals nearing full capacity. we'll have the latest at midday. more on our home page right now.

lawmaker is making as the war over outdoor dining also surges. plus.. can your employer make you get a covid-19 vaccine? our responds team is digging deep. join us tomorrow, from 4:30 to 7. 4:30 to 7.

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>> announcer: live from studio 1a at rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." good morning. welcome to the third hour of "today." i'm al, along with sheinelle. craig is working from home. dylan is on vacation. if she were here, though, today is december 21st, first day of winter. dylan would remind us the first day of meteorological winter is december 1st. but winter came in on the calendar at 5:02 this morning. everyone got a little tingly. >> so it's official.